Nebraska
Charlie McBride honored in Nebraska nearly 30 years after he tried — and failed — to retire
OMAHA, Neb. — A history lesson from Charlie McBride, who’s back in the state of Nebraska to receive the Tom Osborne Legacy Award on Wednesday night at the Outland Trophy Banquet: Twice during the final 2 ½ years of his 18-season run as Nebraska’s defensive coordinator, McBride walked into the head coach’s office and declared his plan to retire.
Neither meeting went quite as McBride anticipated, which he recalled during a conversation with The Athletic on Wednesday.
The first, in the midst of an undefeated season in 1997 with a team emotionally led by two of McBride’s all-time greats, Jason Peter and Grant Wistrom, McBride sat down with Osborne and told the legendary coach he was ready to “pull the plug” on his career.
McBride’s joints were failing. He was forced to coach and often recruit while sitting in a golf cart. It was a bad look, he said. McBride said he believed he was cheating the university. Time had arrived to bail out.
But Osborne said no.
“Why not?” asked McBride.
“Well, I’m going to retire,” McBride recalled hearing from Osborne, “and we both can’t leave Frank.”
Osborne promised Frank Solich years earlier that he would step down and hand the job to Solich in 1996. After the Huskers fell short of a third consecutive national championship, Osborne extended his stay by one season.
The details remained a secret to McBride, who’d coached at Osborne’s side since 1977. So McBride agreed to stay for one season. In 1998, with McBride at Solich’s side, Nebraska lost four games in a season for the first time in 30 years.
Much like Osborne two years before, McBride came back for another year. And in 1999, with a dominant defense to ease the strain on young quarterback Eric Crouch, McBride knew the time was right. In October came a second meeting with the boss. McBride told Solich, the second-year head coach, that he would announce his retirement after the bowl game.
Two days before the Fiesta Bowl, McBride reminded Solich of their conversation.
“He said, ‘What?’” McBride said. “He told me I didn’t tell him. I’m like, ‘Holy moly, this guy’s got amnesia or something.’”
Solich perhaps figured he could feign surprise and convince McBride to stay — a wise move. McBride’s group in 1999 ranked fourth nationally in total yardage allowed per game, second in passing efficiency and third in scoring.
That was his best defense, McBride said, led by defensive tackle Steve Warren and stars in the secondary Mike Brown and Ralph Brown. It was better than the 1994, 1995 and 1997 groups that won national championships, McBride said.
He announced his retirement in Arizona in the aftermath of that Fiesta Bowl, a 31-21 Nebraska win against Tennessee, the reigning national champ, and QB Tee Martin.
McBride was 60, the same age as Osborne when he retired. While Osborne went on to serve in Congress and run the athletic department at Nebraska for six years after his coaching days, McBride kept a low profile.
He underwent surgeries to replace both knees, a hip and a shoulder and to insert a pacemaker. McBride said he never considered a return to big-time coaching.
At 85, he doesn’t need a golf cart to get around. McBride looks good and still gabs about football as much as when he coached. During a visit Wednesday morning to Omaha’s Boys Town with the 2024 Outland winner, Texas offensive tackle Kelvin Banks, McBride said the award he’ll receive at the banquet comes with extra meaning “because of who it represents.”
Osborne, 87, is scheduled to attend the Outland banquet and no doubt toast to McBride. They directed the Huskers with efficiency and great chemistry despite their differences in personality.
Osborne coached with a conservative style and rarely deviated from an even keel. McBride showed his passion regularly. His voice rose above others on the practice field. In their 16 seasons together at the helm of the Nebraska offense and defense, the Huskers won 171 games — 13 games more than the second winningest program in that span, Florida State.
Players loved McBride for his fire. He took chances. Nebraska opponents, after McBride moved to a four-man front in the early ‘90s, feared his defenses in a way that exceeded even the feelings generated by Osborne’s methodical, power run game out of the option offense.
“I’m a pressure coach,” McBride said. “I love pressure.”
In McBride’s final seven seasons, Nebraska won 81 of 89 games, including bowl victories against Miami, Florida, Virginia Tech and Tennessee (twice).
It was a time far removed from the new 12-team College Football Playoff. Ohio State, in a 30-day stretch that came to an end Monday, beat Tennessee, Oregon, Texas and Notre Dame to win the national championship. The Buckeyes’ run to reach the top rates possibly as the most impressive in college football history.
McBride said his Blackshirts would have held up well under the kind of stress that Ohio State faced in December and January.
Why? Because of how Nebraska applied pressure with its defense.
“This would have been a better (format) for us,” McBride said. “Pressure is really one of the only ways to hurt the offenses today. If you can get to that quarterback fast, you’re doing your job. The way we did it, we would have been fine.”
(Photo of McBride (center) with Outland Trophy winner Kelvin Banks of Texas and Bob Mancuso of the Greater Omaha Sports Committee: Mitch Sherman / The Athletic)
The UCLA men’s basketball team made Senior Night one to savor Tuesday, dominating No. 9 Nebraska 72-52 at Pauley Pavilion for its 20th victory of the season and third over a top-10 ranked opponent.
The Bruins improved to 20-10 overall and 12-7 in the Big Ten with one regular season game remaining, Saturday at crosstown rival USC.
Trent Perry scored 20 points, Eric Dailey Jr. had 14 and three players — Tyler Bilodeau, Skyy Clark and Xavier Booker — each added eight points.
“Nebraska’s got a great team,” UCLA coach Mick Cronin said. “This is the best we’ve played all year — they brought out the best in us. We went from our worst defensive effort to our best. They outhustle everyone they play, but not us. Tonight we were great, but I love the way they play. If we had their attitude we’d have their record.”
Eric Freeny had four points, five rebounds and three steals in 18 minutes for UCLA, which got 26 points in the paint and 17 second-chance points.
“Effort is what it takes to win in March,” Freeny said. “It was our last home game. Coach keeps on pushing me to be better everyday.”
Sam Hoiberg had 12 points to lead Nebraska, but Pryce Sandfort, who began the game leading the conference in three-pointers made per game, was held to nine points.
“Sandford has been unbelievable so to hold him to nine points is amazing,” Cronin said. “Brandon Williams was the unsung hero.”
Williams had six points and three rebounds in 12 minutes off the bench.
The Bruins were in control from the opening tip-off and never trailed the Cornhuskers (25-5, 14-5). UCLA improved to 10-3 in all-time against Nebraska and the win greatly strengthened its resume for the NCAA tournament as the Bruins also beat then-No. 4 Purdue 69-67 on Jan. 20 and then-No. 10 Illinois 95-94 in overtime on Feb. 21 on Donovan Dent’s layup with one second left.
“We have to take attitude we came with tonight, bottle it up and take it on the road,” Dailey Jr. said. “We’ve got so much left. The season’s not over… we’re only as good as our last game. It’s all about how you respond. I love the fight that we played with tonight.”
This is the fifth time in Cronin’s seven seasons that the Bruins have won 20 or more games. They are 17-1 at home (their only loss in overtime to Indiana on Jan. 31).
“Since I’ve been here we don’t lose much at home.” Cronin said.
UCLA went ahead by 15 points, 37-22, on Perry’s three-pointer with 2:41 left and led 37-24 at intermission. The Bruins shot 50% from the field in the first half (15 for 30) while Nebraska was only 31% (nine for 29).
The Bruins increased their advantage to 18 points on Dailey’s dunk less than five minutes into the second half and the visitors got no closer than nine the rest of the way.
Prior to pregame introductions the Bruins honored seniors Bilodeau, Dent and Clark; fifth-year player Jamar Brown; redshirt seniors Steven Jamerson II, Jack Seidler and Anthony Peoples Jr; and redshirt junior Evan Manjikian. In a media timeout, midway through the first half, former coach Jim Harrick (who led UCLA to its 11th national championship in 1995) was honored and got a loud ovation.
“I’m happy for our seniors, I didn’t want them to lose their last game at Pauley,” said Perry, who reversed a subpar performance at Minnesota, where he was 0-for-7 from the field with one rebound and one assist in 26 minutes. “I had to come out here tonight and bounce back for my team. I play for something bigger than myself and I’m fortunate to have the type of guys I do around me.”
UCLA guard Skyy Clark looks to pass while under pressure from Nebraska guard Sam Hoiberg and forward Berke Buyuktuncel in the second half.
(William Liang / Associated Press)
Over the last four games, Dent has 46 assists and just two turnovers.
Bilodeau has scored in double figures in 26 of 28 games played, totaling 20 points or more nine times.
Dailey moved to within five points of reaching the 1,000-career point milestone.
UCLA has now made at least one three-pointer in 887 of 888 games dating to February 2000.
“We had one practice this week, that’s it,” Cronin said. “We watched film, had a heart-to-heart talk and a shoot around today but that’s it.”
People across Nebraska and Kansas reported feeling an earthquake Sunday afternoon.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, a quake measuring 4.1 on the Richter Scale struck around 1 p.m. about 3 miles east of the Webster County village of Cowles, which is in south-central Nebraska near the Kansas border.
A quake of that magnitude is considered “light” and not likely to cause damage.
But the USGS received dozens of reports from people who said they felt the quake, some as far away as Omaha and Manhattan, Kansas. Numerous people took to social media to report feeling the quake.
Two aftershocks of 2.6 magnitude later occurred near the original quake site, one about 90 minutes after the initial quake and one later Sunday night.
Earthquakes are relatively rare in Nebraska, but the state does usually record one or two minor ones per year. The last time Nebraska recorded a quake of a magnitude 4 or above was in December 2023, also in Webster County.
The results are in for the Nebraska Lottery’s draw games on Monday, March 2, 2026.
Here’s a look at winning numbers for each game on March 2.
Winning Powerball numbers from March 2 drawing
02-17-18-38-62, Powerball: 20, Power Play: 2
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Powerball Double Play numbers from March 2 drawing
21-28-58-65-67, Powerball: 25
Check Powerball Double Play payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 3 numbers from March 2 drawing
7-5-8
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 5 numbers from March 2 drawing
03-08-09-17-25
Check Pick 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning 2 By 2 numbers from March 2 drawing
Red Balls: 14-26, White Balls: 17-18
Check 2 By 2 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning MyDay numbers from March 2 drawing
Month: 05, Day: 03, Year: 23
Check MyDay payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from March 2 drawing
28-41-42-50-55, Bonus: 02
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
When are the Nebraska Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 10 p.m. CT on Tuesday and Friday.
- Pick 3, 5: By 10 p.m. CT daily.
- Lucky For Life: 9:38 p.m. CT daily.
- 2 By 2: By 10 p.m. CT daily.
- MyDaY: By 10 p.m. CT daily.
- Lotto America: 9:15 p.m CT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Millionaire for Life: 10:15 p.m. CT daily.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a USA Today editor. You can send feedback using this form.
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